It is known to provide a secondary lock for electrical connectors. One form of secondary lock is used in an electrical connector having deflectable latching arms. When the contacts are inserted into such connectors, the latching arms deflect to allow passage of the contacts. When the contacts are fully inserted, the latching arms resile into their initial position and latch behind a shoulder or some other surface on the contact thereby securing the contact within the connector. A secondary lock is then inserted into the connector. The secondary lock has surfaces that are received into spaces proximate to the latching arms. When the secondary lock is in place, the surfaces prevent the latching arms from deflecting and thereby secure the contacts within the connector. A further feature of the secondary lock is that the secondary lock can not be inserted into the connector unless all of the latching arms are in their resting, nondeflected position. Therefore, if one of the contacts is not properly positioned, the latching arm will be deflected and the secondary lock will be prevented from being inserted into the connector.
One of the problems that exists in the prior art connectors with secondary locks is the provision of a good seal between the connector and a mating connector because of the latching surfaces necessary on the connector. An additional problem that exists is the need for precisely formed lead-in surfaces for the contacts in the mating connector.